Furnace wall construction



Dec. 17, 1963 J. P. MADDox Erm. 3,114,220

FURNACE WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed July 20, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 sAMusL H. vAucsHAN, JR.

.Lf 69% @M34 Ww W Dec. 17, 1963 J. P. MADDox ETAL 3,114,220

FuRNAcE WALL coNsTRUcTIoN Filed July 2o, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent Olilice BMZ Patented Dec. 17, 1953 3,114,220 FIHXNACE WALL CGNSTRUCTION Jesse P. Maddox and Samuel H. Vaughan, Jr., Mexico,

Mo., assignors to Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation, Mexico, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 2t), 1959, Ser. No. 828,267 4 Claims. {CL 50398) The present invention relates to a refractory wall for a furnace or the like and it is an object of the invention to provide a highly improved structure of that character.

Prior art refractory walls for furnaces, kilns, ovens, incinerators and the like apparatus are commonly characterized by one or more disadvantageous features including difficulty of assembly and repair, fragility, lack of provision for thermal expansion, and high cost. They have also required a relatively precisely built superstructure or supporting frame, and they have not been readily adaptable for use in the creation of odd formations. As opposed to this, a refractory wall constructed in accordance with the present invention is easily assembled and repaired, rugged, and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. It is also adapted to the construction of furnaces or the like of odd formation, provides for thermal expansion, and permits the use of a superstructure or support frame not necessarily constructed to close tolerances.

Accordingly, it is another object of the invention to provide an improved refractory wall which may be quickly and easily assembled. It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved refractory wall which may be quickly and easily repaired by the removal of a broken or defective refractory block and the substitution of a new block therefor.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved refractory wall that inherently permits substantial shifting in response to thermal expansion.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved refractory wall which permits the use of a support frame not necessarily constructed to close tolerances.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved refractory wall having various of the advantages indicated above while being easily adapted to furnaces or the like of odd formation, rugged in construction, and inexpensive to manufacture.

Further features of the invention pertain to the particular arrangement of the elements of the refractory Wall, whereby the above outlined and additional features thereof are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective View of a representative one of the blocks of the refractory material employed in the r preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view, on a reduced scale, of the block illustrated in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the refractory block of FIGS. l and 2 shown in cooperation with a frame member and an anchor member;

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of the anchor member shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of a representative refractory wall embodying the invention and including refractory blocks, support frame and anchoring members;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of a portion of a similar refractory wall but including a layer of insulating material;

FIG. 7 is a perspective View of portions of a joining top and side walls of a furnace, the refractory walls being constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic elevational view of the inner side of a furnace wall constructed in accordance with the present invention, illustrating one arrangement of the refractory blocks; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but illustrating a different arrangement of refractory blocks.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention employs a plurality of refractory blocks 10 of which the block best seen in FIGS. 1-3 is representative. The blocks 10 consist primarily of any suitable refractory material such as high alumina, alumina-silica, silica, chrome, magnesite, and others known to the art. I`he blocks 1? are formed preferably from mixes that can be cast, but forming may be accomplished by any suitable means. As is well understood in the art, the particular refractory material employed should be selected from the group which lits the requirements of the intended application of the refractory wall of which the blocks 10 form a part.

Each block 10 is preferably formed with two opposed and parallel broad faces 11 and 12, the face 11 of the block being intended to face inwardly of the furnace or the like while the face 12 is intended to face outwardly. The block is preferably of such shape that the inner and outer faces 11 and 12 are square. These faces may, however, be rectangular or of any other shape which permits a plurality of blocks to be assembled to form a continuous wall of the shape and configuration desired. The edges of the outer face 12 are preferably recessed as at 13 to minimize over-stressing and chipping of these edges of the blocks as they are assembled to form a wall.

A pai-r of metal channel members 15, of any suitable heat resistant alloy steel, are embedded in each block 1t) with the free edges of the channel members ush with the outer surface 12 of the block. These channel members are of generally dove-tail cross section each that anchor members, described below, may make interlocking connection therewith. While the channel members 15 as illustrated in the dra-Wings have a cross-sectional shape falling withinn the strict definition of the term dovetail, they may be T-shaped or of any other shape which permits an interlocking connection with anchor members, and it is intended that the term dove-tail as employed herein be interpreted broadly as including any shape permitting such interlocking connection.

The free edges of the channel members 15 are preferably turned outwardly as clearly shown in FIG. 2 to form lips 16 which help to prevent chipping of the block 10 adjacent these -free edges of the channel members. Embedded within the block 10 are anchor means for securely holding the channel members within the block lit and for reinforcing the biock. These anchor means, 'which may also be formed of heat resistant alloy steel, include L-shaped members 18, which are preferably welded to the channel members 15, and reinforcing rods 19 which are welded to and extend between the L-shaped members 18 in the configuration best illustrated in FIG. l. It will be readily apparent that the anchor means 18 and 19 serve to distribute the stresses which are applied to the channel members 15 by anchor members described below.

Metal strap anchors 20, best seen in FIG. 4, are preferably formed of heavy gauge sheet metal, again of any suitable heat resistant alloy steel. These anchor members have a ared end or enlarged terminal portion 21 which is shaped to make interlocking connection with the channel members 15 and preferably conforms to the inner crossasectional shape of the channel members. It will be seen that the anchor members 20 are slidable within the channel members 15 to any desired position along the length thereof. It will also be apparent that the anchor members may readily be inserted within and .'ithdrawn from the channel members, between the lips lo on the free edges of the latter. The interlocking connections between the anchor members and the channel members are most effective when the anchor members are substantially perpendicular to the length of the associated channel members.

The anchor members 2h' serve to support the blocks lG on a support frame or superstructure Iwhich may be of widely divergent forms. In FIG. 5 the support frame is illustrated as including an angle iron Z2, a channel member 23, an l-beam 24 with one flange facing `the blocks 10, and a H-beam 25 with edges of both flanges facing the blocks 1t), these several structural shapes being illustrated in the same figure merely to indicate the manner in which the blocks 19 may be anchored in accordance with the present invention to the various structural shapes employed or encountered in supe-rstructures and frames of furnaces and the like. With the anchor members 20 making interlocking connection with the blocks li?, and with the blocks drawn against the frame members 22-2i the anchor members may then be bent over the rear edge or side of any of the frame members to secure the blocks in any desired position. As is suggested in FIG. 5, the anchor members 20 may be of various lengths to permit their cooperation with various sizes and types of frame members. While the anchor members 20 are preferably of heavy sheet metal, they may quickly and easily be bent over the frame members 22-25 with common tools such as a pipe Wrench, vice grip wrench or any tool providing adequate gripping and leverage.

When the several blocks have been secured to the supporting frame or superstructure in side-by-side juxtaposed position and one above the other, as indicated in FIG. 5, it will be observed that the recessed edges 13 of the outer face '12 of each block cooperates with the adjacent recessed edges of adjacent blocks to form a groove 13a at the junction line between each pair of blocks into which any suitable sealing mortar or compound may be spread in order to render the wall gastight where such condition is desired.

A more complete form of support frame is illustrated in FIG. 7 wherein side Wall frame members 26, in the form of angle irons, and top wall frame members 27, in the form of channel members, are secured .to and supported by heavy frame members 28. Preferably the frame members 26 and 27, to which the blocks 10 are secured, are arranged sufficiently close together that two frame members transversely overlie the channel member or channel members of each block. This provides stable orientation of the blocks and anchoring of each channel member 15 of each block at two points. Where two channel members 15 are embedded within each block, four anchor points are thus provided for each block.

In FIG. 7 the blocks 10 forming the side wall are shown in staggered rows whereas the blocks forming the top wall or ceiling are arranged in alignment. These two selective arrangements lare more clearly illus-trated in FIG. 8 and 9 respectively. In FIG. 8 the channel members 15 are so spaced within the blocks that they are aligned when the blocks are arranged in staggered rows. It will be appreciated that this is not essential since the frame members to which the blocks are secured preferably run perpendicular to the channel members.

A layer of insulating material 30 may be employed in the refractory wall construction in the manner illustrated in FG. 6. The insulating material 30 is preferably arranged between the refractory blocks 10 and the frame members as illustrated to protect the frame members from overheating. In this instance of course the layer of Iinsulating material would have suitable openings through which the anchors extend. The insulating material may be applied in sheet form during erection of the refractory wall or it may be applied to the rear faces of the blocks during their casting and manufacture.

If preferred, it also may be troweled or gunned onto the outer exposed surfaces 12 of the blocks after erection of the wall.

It will be apparent that the refractory wall illustrated in the drawings and described above is very quickly and easily erected, and it will also `be apparent that a broken or defective block may readily be removed from a completed wall and replaced with a new block.

Since the blocks 10 may be positioned anywhere on the plane of lthe frame members the frame members may be positioned within wide vertical tolerances. This same feature of the illustrated and described refractory wall permits full flexibility in the arrangement of the blocks on the support frame. An expansion joint may, for example, be inserted between rows of blocks without regard for its influence on the relative positioning of the blocks.

Although the anchor members 2d hold the individual blocks l0 from Iany large shifting movement, it will be apparent that the blocks are substantially unrestricted in small shifting movements such as are induced by thermal expansion of a reasonable area of the refractory walt. Accordingly, expansion joints may be widely spaced.

Another desirable feature of the illustrated and described refractory wall is that the easy and unrestricted vertical positioning of the blocks on and with respect to the support frame makes the construction adaptable to odd formations of furnaces or the like.

In the illustrated and described embodiment of the inJ vention the blocks are shown as having two parallel metal channel members embedded therein, both of these extending between `the same itwo opposed edges of the block. It will be appreciated that only one such channel, or more than two, may be employed and that these may terminate short of the edge-s of the block and be other than parallel without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the channel members have been shown extending substantially perpendicular to the frame members in the completed wall. This is preferred since it offers the greatest liexibility in block positioning with a given spacing of frame members, but it is not essential to the invention in its broader form. It has already been indicated that the cross section of the channel members may be of various shapes offering interlocking relationship with the anchor members without departing from the meaning of lthe term dovetail as it is broadly used therein.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that a furnace wall constructed in accordance with the present invention may be employed in the formation of vertical walls, ceilings, arches, baffles, breechings, filles, ash pits, and fiumes, such as are found in modern furnaces, kilns, ovens and incinerators and the like. The wall structure and its simple and easy erection completely eliminate the need for the use of threaded bolts, Std and machine drilling of holes such as are required in the erection Iand building of most refractory walls of types reviously known. The invention eliminates and renders unnecessary the previously necessary exact and careful designing of furnace superstructures, and at the same time permits the erection of superstructures without close at'- tention tto tolerances and detail. The invention thus achieves substantial economy and speed in the erection of furnace walls while, at the same time, permitting the refractory walls thereof to be accurately placed and securely anchored to the superstructure despite inaccuracies the `wide tolerances that may exist in the superstructure. Refractory walls constructed in accordance with the present invention furthermore may be quickly assembled and anchored to the superstructures of most existing furnaces regardless of the unusual and variable spacings that may exist between the structural elements of the existing super structures.

of the refractory wall of the present invention is that itmay quickly and easily be assembled by relatively unskilled itxbor with use of only a minimum of ordinary tools.

Once a refractory wall has been installed pursuant to e present invention, it will be appreciated that the wail any of its component parts may be readily removed o replaced as condi-tions may require, with a minimum o replacement time and effort. Furthermore, the individual blocks making up a wall embodying the present invention may in many cases be removed and replaced without the necessity of having the workmen enter the furnace itself. Each wall embodying the present invention is, in a sense, an individual unit vand may be erected as such and can be changed and modified without requiring modification of the other walls of the furnace or the superstructure therefor. Each wall, furthermore, may be easily assembled in order to allow the insertion or castingin of burners, peep holes, access holes, duct work openings, and clean-out accesses typical of Ithe kinds found in furnace, kiln, oven and incinerator designs used in modern manufacturing practices.

The invention lends itself readily to mass production, resulting in economy in fabrication and inexpensive and easy ladaptability to various sizes and shapes of walls to be constructed.

The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be implied therefrom, for it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations not referred to above may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a refractory wall for a furnace having a skeletal framework including a plurality of rigid structural members, a plurality of juxtaposed blocks of cast refractory material spanning the members of said framework, each of said blocks having an inner face adapted :to be subjccted to and to withstand the temperature conditions within the furnace and each having an outer face for placement in proximity to the members of said framework, each of said blocks carrying embedded therein and opening toward the outer face thereof and extending substantially between opposed edges of the block a pair of heat resistant continuous metal channel members of dovetailed cross section disposed in spaced parallel relation, said channel members of each of the blocks lying transversely of at least two of the members of Ithe framework, and a plurality of elongate metal anchors interposed between the outer face of each said blocks and the members of said framework, each anchor being provided at one end with an enlarged terminal pontion removably inserted in and in interlocking engagement with a channel member of a block immediately adjacent a structural member, and having its opposite end bent over said adjacent structural member for releasable attachment thereto, said anchors being removable from said structural members whereby individual blocks may be selectively detached from said wall.

2. A refractory wall as defined in claim l, in which each of the blocks includes reinforcement means disposed between the channel members to distribute stresses appiied thereto through said anchors.

3. A refractory wall as defined in claim 1, in which the peripheral edges of the ouiter face of each of said blocks are recessed along their entire lengths so as to 'References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 789,794 Camrneyer May 16, 1905 1,341,977 Gates .Tune 1, 192() 1,367,497 Pace Feb. 1, 1921 1,488,798 Schaller Apr. 1, 1924 1,596,695 Stevens Aug. 17, 1926 1,695,909 Bauer Dec. 18, 1928 1,725,200 Lampert Aug. 20, 1929 1,764,772 Bitney June 17, 1930 1,843,375 Sheehan Feb. 2, 1932 1,870,721 Foltz Aug. 9, 1932 2,082,314 Venzie June l, 1937 2,316,819 Tedrow Apr. 20, 1943 2,480,241 Hensel Aug. 30, 1949 2,780,936 Hillberg Feb. 12, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 40,083 Denmark Apr. 16, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,114,220 December IT, 1963 Jesse P. Maddox et al.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 37, for' "each" read such column line 3, after "each" insert of Signed and sealed this 9th day of June 1964.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer l Commissioner of Patents 

1. IN A REFRACTORY WALL FOR A FURNACE HAVING A SKELETAL FRAMEWORK INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF RIGID STRUCTURAL MEMBERS, A PLURALITY OF JUXTAPOSED BLOCKS OF CAST REFRACTORY MATERIAL SPANNING THE MEMBERS OF SAID FRAMEWORK, EACH OF SAID BLOCKS HAVING AN INNER FACE ADAPTED TO BE SUBJECTED TO AND TO WITHSTAND THE TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS WITHIN THE FURNACE AND EACH HAVING AN OUTER FACE FOR PLACEMENT IN PROXIMITY TO THE MEMBERS OF SAID FRAMEWORK, EACH OF SAID BLOCKS CARRYING EMBEDDED THEREIN AND OPENING TOWARD THE OUTER FACE THEREOF AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY BETWEEN OPPOSED EDGES OF THE BLOCK A PAIR OF HEAT RESISTANT CONTINUOUS METAL CHANNEL MEMBERS OF DOVETAILED CROSS SECTION DISPOSED IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION, SAID CHANNEL MEMBERS OF EACH OF THE BLOCKS LYING TRANSVERSELY OF AT LEAST TWO OF THE MEMBERS OF THE FRAMEWORK, AND A PLURALITY OF ELONGATE METAL ANCHORS INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE OUTER FACE OF EACH SAID BLOCKS AND THE MEMBERS OF SAID FRAMEWORK, EACH ANCHOR BEING PROVIDED AT ONE END WITH AN ENLARGED TERMINAL PORTION REMOVABLY INSERTED IN AND IN INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH A CHANNEL MEMBER OF A BLOCK IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT A STRUCTURAL MEMBER, AND HAVING ITS OPPOSITE END BENT OVER 